Short one worker, or short a whole crew?
We staff hauliers, garages, engineering firms and contractors across Ireland and the UK. You tell us the role and the start date. We do the rest.
- A vetted shortlist in days, not months of a job ad going nowhere
- Full teams, not one hire at a time, from a single brief
- Work permits, visas and compliance carried end to end
Trusted by
Two ways in
Hiring, or looking for work?
Everything on this site is one or the other. Pick your door and we will keep it short.
For employers
Short one worker, or a whole crew
Vetted shortlist in days from the local market. When local cannot deliver, trade tested people from our own workshops overseas, with the permit, the visa and the flights handled for you.
- No retainer, no monthly fee, nothing to open a search
- Replacement cover of 30 days, 3 months or 6 months
- Every candidate trade tested before you see a CV
For candidates
You will never pay us. Not once, not for anything.
Skilled trades, drivers and engineers for Ireland and the UK, with the permit sponsored by the employer, and remote office roles you do from home. Employers pay us. Your wage is yours in full.
- Permit, visa and paperwork handled, start to finish
- Flight, accommodation, PPSN or NI number and bank account arranged
- Pages in Tagalog, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese, Urdu and Afrikaans
How we fill it
Three routes, and we will tell you which one you need
We look at your local market before we look anywhere else. Overseas deployment is slower and more involved, so we only recommend it when local genuinely cannot deliver.
Ireland and the UK
- About two weeks from brief to a start date
- Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview
- No retainer and no monthly fee
- Thirty day replacement guarantee
International deployment
- Sourced from the Philippines, South Africa, the UAE, Bangladesh, Colombia, India and Nepal
- Permit, visa and Certificate of Sponsorship work handled end to end
- Labour Market Needs Test managed for you
- Flights, accommodation and welfare checks after arrival included
Remote support roles
- Live in one to four weeks, because there is no permit in the way
- Five stage vetting including a proper English assessment
- Employed directly by your company
- Typically 50 to 70% below the cost of a local hire
Trade testing
We do not take their word for it. Neither should you.
Our own test workshops in Johannesburg, Manila and Dubai. Mechanics on live units, fitters stripping hubs against the clock, sprayers on real panels, fabricators cutting to drawing. If somebody cannot do the job on the day, they do not get on the plane.
Official figures, updated monthly
Who is actually hiring from abroadLive
Ireland publishes every employment permit it issues and the UK publishes every licensed sponsor. We load both into one place so you can see who is hiring, where, and in what trade, for free.
Where the people come from
Why the Philippines and South Africa, and not somewhere closer
Because it works. English is a working language in both, the licence conversion routes are known, and both countries have long-established systems for people working abroad. We have our own teams in Manila and Johannesburg, not a partner we have never met.
English first
Interviews in English, from the first call
Candidates are assessed in English at the start, not the end, so language does not become a problem the week before a start date. UK Skilled Worker applicants must reach CEFR level B2, and we give them assessor support to get there.
Licences
We know how each licence converts
South African licences exchange for an Irish licence without a retest. Filipino drivers sit the Irish test, which we arrange and support. HGV drivers complete the Driver CPC after they start. We confirm the route for each licence before anybody travels.
The figures
Ireland's own numbers say the same
The Department publishes every employment permit it issues, by nationality, county and sector. The table below is the current year, updated monthly, straight from that data.
Where we are
No third parties. Our own people, in six places.
Every person who screens, tests or looks after a candidate works for us. No franchise, no sub-agent, and nobody between you and the people doing the work.
Placed, not promised
Roles we have filled for employers like you
Named clients and the roles that actually started. Ask us for a reference and we will put you in touch.
In their words
What it is like to hire through us
We came to Sama Talent looking for skilled local window fitters and they delivered. Lance and Martin were responsive from day one, understood exactly what we needed, and placed the right people quickly. We're delighted with the service and already looking forward to working with Sama again on future hires.
Carlos McDonagh, Managing Director, Carlos Windows Limited
Cost and cover
What it costs, and what happens if it goes wrong
Government fees are passed through at cost and the placement fee is staged across the process, none of it up front.
Replacement guarantee on a local hire
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was remote
Replacement guarantee where the trade test was in person
Retainer, startup or candidate fees, at any point
Sama Talent & Offshore Services Limited, 136 Capel Street, Dublin D01 T2C9. Licensed employment agency EA 5649, Workplace Relations Commission of Ireland. CRO 810220. Local first. Internationally ready when local cannot deliver.
Lead times
How long it takes, honestly
Government processing times move, and anybody quoting you a single confident number is guessing. Which route applies to your role, and the current wait, we confirm in writing before you commit.
Local hire, Ireland or UK
About 2 weeks
Brief to start date. Candidates pre-screened and compliance handled before you interview.
Ireland, employment permit
Department clock
Our preparation takes days. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment publishes its own processing times and they move with demand; we tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
UK, Skilled Worker
UKVI clock
You assign the Certificate of Sponsorship; UK Visas and Immigration publishes decision times. We tell you the current one in writing before you commit.
Remote support role
1 to 4 weeks
Where the job can be done remotely, there is no permit and no queue.
Official processing times: enterprise.gov.ie for Irish employment permits and GOV.UK for the Skilled Worker visa.
Recruitment trips
Come and test them yourself
Every month we are in Manila, Johannesburg and Dubai with clients, running in-person trade tests and volume interviews. Based on everything we have seen, it is the most effective way to hire.
- Meet more candidates in a day than you would in a month of video calls
- Get a better read on somebody by watching them work, not just hearing them talk
- Trade test in person, on the tools, to your own standard
- We handle all the logistics. You turn up, we do the rest
For candidates
We never charge you. Not once, not for anything.
If an agency asks you for money to be considered for a job, walk away from it. Employers pay us. Your wage is yours, in full, and nothing comes out of it. Permits, visas and paperwork handled; flight, accommodation, PPSN or NI number arranged; trade tested before you travel; somebody on the ground after you land.
Also on this site
Free, and no sign-up
All of it is open, none of it asks you to register, and it is there whether you come to us or not.
Keep an eye out
New jobs go up on Facebook first
Roles are posted there as they come in, with the trade and the country. There is usually a fortnight between a job appearing and applications closing.
Resources
Straight answers, written down
Written by the people who do the work, not a content agency.
What happens on the day at our Manila or Johannesburg centre, and why it protects you.
Read it CandidatesNo fees, ever. How to spot a bad recruitment agencyThe warning signs to look for before you hand anybody a document.
Read it CandidatesThe five steps to working in the UK or IrelandA roadmap for tradespeople, drivers and skilled professionals.
Read it CandidatesWhat Sama Talent looks for in candidatesHow we shortlist, and why some people are turned down.
Read itStraight answers
The questions we get asked most
What does it cost to get started?
Nothing. No retainer, no monthly fee and no charge to open a search. The placement fee is staged across the process and government fees are passed through at cost. Pricing is on request and in writing before you commit to anything.
How quickly can you fill a role?
Local placements typically run about two weeks from brief to first day. Remote roles go live in one to four weeks because there is no permit involved. Overseas deployment depends on the permit route, and government processing times move, so we give you the current figure for your specific role in writing, and it is the real one, not a number that sounds good.
Do you handle the visas and permits?
Yes, the whole way. Labour Market Needs Test where one is required, the employment permit or Certificate of Sponsorship, the visa filing, then flights, PPSN or National Insurance number, bank account and accommodation set up. You sign the paperwork, we carry it.
Who employs the candidate, you or us?
They work for you. Anyone hired through Sama is employed directly by your business. No ongoing fees, no percentage deducted from their salary, and no middleman sitting in the arrangement.
Do I pay anything as a candidate?
No. Not at any stage, not ever. Not to apply, not to be placed, not for a visa, documents, training or registration. Employers pay us and your wage is yours in full.
Where do you recruit from?
The Philippines, South Africa, Bangladesh, Colombia, the UAE, India and Nepal, and locally within Ireland and the UK. Polish sourcing is launching later in 2026.
Are you regulated?
Sama Talent & Offshore Services Limited holds Employment Agency Licence EA 5649, issued by the Workplace Relations Commission of Ireland and valid to May 2027. Irish company CRO 810220. UK entity Company No. 17175806. US entity Sama Talent LLC, Delaware.
Tell us the role and the start date. We will take it from there.
No retainer, no startup fee, and nothing is ever charged to the candidate. Call us on +353 1 903 8249, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.